The Survival of Us
by SilentAutumn165
Summary: Washed away after a battle with an enemy champion, Jinx and Garen end up further into the enemy territory. With time going by and no way to send for help, they have to go days and nights surviving monsters, enemy junglers, and worst, each other.


**The Survival of Us**

Chapter One: A Bloody Encounter

The fog is a blurry grayish and the sun is hidden above the canopies of the large pine trees. There is only the sound of the wind, occasional cricket calls, and the more common loudness of shouts, clanging weapons, and magic produced from the battles done here.

They tread. Two figures, one in full Demacian armor with pronounced joint plates, and one almost naked with long cyan hair braided in two. Their footsteps are careful. The one in full armor tried hard not to make much sound with the bulky plates of it that made noise with every movement.

His efforts to be stealthy would be in vain though...

"Ugh, this whole stealth thing is sooooo boring." She is thin, skin pale, mostly tattooed at the limbs, the body barely covered with militaristic clothing paired with booming-girlish style.

"Shush, Jinx." His head turns, inspecting the area as they advanced. At his right hand, a well-forged Demacian blade nearly as long as his whole body, the hilt golden and cored by an opal sapphire,and the steel having an unnatural luster to mark the arcane essence contained within it. It needed two hands to to be carried by an average person, but this man wielded it with only his right hand.

"C'mon... Blasting someone's face off is waaaay more entertaining than sneaking around to blast someone's face off. Won't you agree, Garen?"

Jinx carried a large caliber triple-barreled minigun, custom-made for from the Piltover underworld. The weight of its chassis and ammunition was enough to make a noticeable pull to her arms. The bolted metal was painted like a vandalized wall, and the bores of each barrel were blackened from a long history fully-automatic firing.

"I would not want to die foolishly charging, it's best if we move carefully and take anyone by surprise."

"Whatever..." She sighed, blowing the longest fringe of her cyan hair in front of her. "Demacia is boring, Noxus is boring, swords are boring, armor is boring and heavy, fog is boring, sneaking around is boring... "

"Jinx," Garen stopped and partially turned his head to his back where Jinx is. "Let's play a game."

She smiled, jolted alive again. "Oh, I love games! What's the rules? Can we cheat? Who keeps the scores?"

"The rules are simple, and no, you can't cheat. Whoever doesn't talk the longest wins." Then he continued on walking. "I'll start."

"Op! You lose, I win." She giggled. "I didn't even cheat. I'm such an awesome player. Now where's my trophy?"

Garen sighed and shook his head slowly. He muttered under his breath: "'Go with Jinx' she said 'She's a fun person' she said... Damn you, Fiora... Grand Duelist, my botto-..."

"Hey, Garen, where are all the minions?" He stopped, the realization hitting him.

"Wait..." He looks around. The violent ambiance of battle disappeared, as if drifted into the seemingly perpetual fog. The gray shroud was all around them and the numerous trees blocked any visible sunlight. They leave no footprints as the ground was littered with dried leaves. "I think we're lost..."

She shivered for a second as a breeze came. "Brr... The air here's a bit chilly... Now I wish I had some armor."

"It looks like we lost the lane..." Garen looked to the skies, but there was nothing there to guide them, only screens of clouds grayer than the fog, obscured by the leaves of the great pines. "Hm, we could send a signal using one of your flares but we're already deep in enemy lines..." He muttered.

"Hey! This is a perfect opportunity for an adventure worthy of being chronicled!" Jinx mimicked a heroic tone. "Jinx, the gunner girl, and Garen, the Demacian General, lost at the heart of enemy territory!" Her voice changed, high-pitched. "Oh no! What will happen to them? Will they get out alive?" And back to that deeper tone. "Let's find out in this episode of Jinx and Garen's adventures!"

Garen made another sigh and groaned. "Let's just keep moving in this direction. Hopefully, we'll come across any lane." They begin to move.

"Aww, but my feet ache."

"We can't stop now."

"Fine, fine... Let's keep moving, oh great general."

And they moved, Jinx marching as she followed.

* * *

><p>They were approaching one of many rivers of this land. It is large, as if it would lead to a titanic waterfall. The water currents were swift and there were small cataracts here and there, divided by rugged rocks.<p>

They can see well through the water. The many algae-covered stones that rested on the bottom of it were visible. By the center, before the cataracts, there were large elevating stepping stones that lead to the other side, conveniently placed for the champions. The gaps between each platform were wide and far. It would take leaps to get to one stepping stone to another. If one would fall, then he would be carried away by the strong currents and further near the enemy base.

"And, General Garen sighs and groans again!" Jinx's voice was echoing through the woods. She continued her voice changing and 'chronicling.' "Behold his mighty blade! Killer of a thousand Noxians and savior of a thousand more Demacians!" Her voice went high and far, as if a crowd effect. "Oh my! All hail General Garen! And her really awesome assistant, Jinx with her huge guns!"

The sound of a twig being stepped upon erupted. "That was the sound of a Noxian being torn in half by General Garen's armored foot! Oh my! Pew, pew, pew! And there's the sound of Jinx shooting a platoon of Noxian soldiers!"

They stopped by the steep edge of this river. They both looked down, inspecting it. Jinx turned her head to Garen after giving it a look.

"And the duo comes across a river! Should General Garen lead us to the other side? Or should Jinx vaporize all the water for us to cross it?"

Garen looks to his left, catching sight of the stepping stones. "The former it is." He said, and they walked to their left, towards the first platform.

They look at it. The distance of the gap was enough for them to take the time to consider before jumping.

Jinx peered down on the running water. "Well, so who's jumping first, General?"

She looked back at Garen, but he was not there. Then air rushed in front of her, and an blue armored figure ran past, and leaped off the riverbed. Garen landed on the platform, staggering for a moment then standing back up as if that leap was a simple hop. Jinx stared, mouth agape.

Garen turned and beckoned for her. She only looked at him, an unsure face forming. "You can make it!" He said, his left hand as if amplifying his voice.

That wasn't so encouraging. Jinx pouted and saw the currents again. All her confidence escaped her that moment. She realized that crossing this river was easier said than done. Though it looked shallow, the waters were deep, she can tell from the large fishes and vegetation that looked small from the surface. It reminded her of the running sewers of Piltover, its greenish color from all the mixed _things_ in it, and how she would never swim in it no matter what. She fell into it once and she was very much not enthusiastic to repeat that one instance.

She looked back up to Garen, the armored man still waiting for her on the first of many stone platforms, resting himself upon the pummel of his sword. He wasn't going to leave her behind.

Jinx gulped. The water... It was deep and moving... She didn't know how to swim. She never did, and even if she could, all the convertible weapons with her might pull her down to the watery depths. Drowning isn't going to be fun at all. No explosions, no loud noises. Only muffled screams and water.

He heard more of his shouts. "You're thinking too much! You can make it! Trust yourself!" Riding a rocket would be fine, jumping off a landmine would be fine, blowing up a house that she's inside of will be alright. Just not this. But she had to.

_Don't think_. She was good at that, and the phrase would continuously babble in her head. She took steps back, forcing herself to do it, preparing for this one leap. Slowly, she walked backwards, looking at Garen who was nodding at her with an ensuring smile.

She was far enough, so she halted. It looked like a mile's sprint.

"This is it, Jinx... Just one good jump and the rest will be easy..." She gritted her teeth and all thinking faded way. Her legs moved, walking, then running. Though she did not know it, she was yelling as she approached the edge.

Her legs pushed and she closed her eyes.

Air flows through her skin. She could no longer feel the ground. Below her, was a fate of drowning. Though her equipment was heavy, she felt weightless. She was leaping and she was going to make it.

The comforting feeling of something solid below her feet was back. She stood back up. There was a smirk on his face.

"I told you."

Jinx caught more breaths. "Geez, how do you jump with that armor?"

"Practice." He turned for the next stepping stone. "Alright, just about six more to go."

"What?!"

"Okay, here we-" Garen readied for another jump, but then,

"Umm... General," Jinx said. "Something's wrong with the water. I didn't know rivers get red tides."

"What?" Then he looked down. The clear aquamarine had become red. Crimson red. He looked closely, and two glowing orbs appeared, spaced like eyes, glaring at him. He recoiled. A familiar coppery smell mixed with the moisture of the air. Blood. "Jinx, ready your weapon."

"Why? What's-" She furrowed an eyebrow at him.

Vibrations emerged from underneath them. Garen turned and placed his other hand on the handle of the blade, readying for what was to come. Behind them, the water gushed out into a red pillar as if alive. At the center of the reddish swirling mass, was a lanky figure coated in elegant dark crimson. His fair skin was splattered with blood, his hair was a silvery-white, his eyes bright with a supernatural red, and his hands were outstretched, the fingers armored like bleeding iron talons.

"The foul Hemomancer, Vladimir... " Garen gritted his teeth. He turned his head to her and shouted: "Jinx, open fire!"

"Hah! Finally, some fun!" The barrels of her minigun revolved and it wasn't long until bullets came out. Gunfire echoes. The slugs exit at a rapid rate, barraging the mage, but doing little.

Then came a voice, refined in tone yet condescending and inhuman. It resonated through the fog and mist and it melted the smile of Jinx. "Pathetic beings..." The bullets hit him, but he would be unfazed, looking down with this grin with a lust for blood hidden underneath.

Her smirk returns. "So you like being tough, eh?" From her pocket, she took a piece of metal, then it intricately unraveled into a oversized rocket launcher of a bulky design. The projectile was a... shark-like missile? Jinx laughed. "Bye bye!"

The trigger is pushed, a strong feedback from the launcher slightly pushed Jinx, and the rocket zig-zaggs wildly into the air. It seems aimless, but as it traveled it began homing towards the great sanguine mass. A loud boom and a pink explosion, and there was only a small pause as black smoke emerged. The sound of running water stopped.

"Whew!" Jinx let the launcher down. "No scary creeps for us today!" She looked at Garen, who for a moment was out of his combat stance. There was this silence, the natural mood of this forest returned. Vladimir was gone. They began to turn their backs. Garen scoffed and Jinx only smiled.

Jinx turned her head to him. "Now let's kee-"

Something hit her.

A jet of blood burst forth out of the water, then cut through the smoke. It had thrust towards Jinx, lashing her torso.

"Useless!" The smoke cleared out, and Vladimir was still whole, the wounds healed by the reserve blood. A whirlpool of red water spurred around him as he reemerged. "Do not dare underestimate a person like me ! Your toys can only do so little to harm my power!" He laughed and he hovered himself higher into the air, the whirlpool morphing into an animated pillar of blood-mixed water to support him. Another jet of blood escaped from behind the base of his pillar, separating into a large opened hand as it flew. It darted to Garen, ready to take him. He shouted, and with a quick slice of his blade, the red limb was cut in half.

Jinx had lost her balance, she had tumbled hard as the strike contained much force. Her rocket launcher met the ground- meeting with a clang- then the water, lost to the currents. Jinx was able to hang on to the edge of the platform. She saw her rocket launcher float then sink to the running waters underneath her. "Damn, have to buy another one... Aa!" Her thumb released.

The stone was too slippery. She clung to it even harder, but her fingers would slowly slide and let go one-by-one. First, her pinkie, then the ring, the middle, and finally...

A gasp, then a call: "Gar-" A gauntlet caught her right wrist just in time.

"Hold on!" Blood-mixed water was rushing around them, a sinister cackle at the center of all the crimson rushing out. "Jinx, your equipment's too..." he grunted, giving one good pull, yet pulled back down again. "heavy!"

"Look who's talking with all his armor! Maybe it's all those useless plates that's pulling you down!" Garen couldn't even form an unamused face as he tried hard to pull her. Using the other hand would mean a quicker death, as that requires dropping his sword which might fall into the unnatural currents. Other than that, her shoulder began to bleed. The circumstances were getting difficult.

"Go on without me, General! I'll be A-Okay. You don't need an assistant! You can take out all those Noxians! You're strong!" Her smile wouldn't fade, but after she winked, this small hesitation, that tiny form of a saddened expression would be hidden. Garen could see it. He's seen it more than a hundred times. Smiles of dying soldiers.

"No! Jinx, I can't do this without your help! We have to-"

"This shall be an easy double kill!" Something was forming up, and Garen turned his head. A great red ball, hovering between Vladimir's two claw-like hands, dancing around it as he regathered blood from the swirling water.

Garen looks back to Jinx, who was still smiling, yet with this uneasiness further evident on her face.

Garen's hold was weakening and the water was growing even violent. He took one more glance behind. The blood mage's grin only grows as he readied the orb, showing pale, sharpened teeth that had once bit into flesh. Then, a final look to her, the hard contortion in his expression softened, the uneasiness now shared. "I'm sorry."

She nodded once. "It's fine. I'm done. See ya."

"JINX!" Her gloved hand slipped, the fingers drawing inward as his hold softened. Then she fell, eyes closed, forever hiding the crystalline magenta, still smiling as the rapids embraced her, taking her into the deeps, conveying somewhere far away that Garen would never know. She was gone.

Vladimir cackled once again. The armored hands clench. His grip tightens upon the handle of the Demacian sword. Slowly, he stood, breathing heavily as he planted the blade upon the stone then pulled to help himself up.

"It's been a while since I've taken Demacian blood." Vladimir smiled down upon him. "I would've added that Piltover woman's blood to my collection, but sadly, you let her go." He chuckled. "It's time to win my bet with Darius!

A battle-cry, then he turned, charging towards Vladimir with much speed. The mage laughed. From the orb, came blood darts showering upon the warrior. He stopped as the the needle-tipped darts burst forth like a volley of arrows. The blade of the sword was raised up, protecting his unarmored head, the metals clanging as it met the hardened blood. The darts that would collide with his armor and blade hit with such force to slightly push each part back. He grunted, closing his eyes, and muttering something until the barrage ended.

They open, quickly finding Vladimir in his sights. The arcane blade glowed, the carved runes shining as the infused divine power illuminated within the metal. "... With this blade, he shall protect the innocent," the glow furthered, as if a halo formed around it, hissing as steam formed, "and he shall strike forth," he points the tip of sword to the Hemomancer,

"_TO THE TAINTED HEARTS OF THE UNRIGHTEOUS!_" Armored footsteps thud as they land on the stone. Extended tendrils of blood tried to subdue him, but they would narrowly miss, doing only to scratch the blue paint and golden trim of his pauldrons.

A great battle-cry with a loudness enough to inspire an army burst forth from his throat as he leaped towards Vladimir, sword overhead towards the blood mage under. The crimson tendrils whipped, finding the exposed less-armored area of his right arm, breaking the chainmail and then digging into the flesh. It opened, pain spiked in an instant. The blood released from the wound, joining the swirling maelstrom of blood, absorbing it, but Garen only yelled with more fury as he fell upon him with all his strength.

A blood shield was swiftly conjured to create little defense, but it was too late for Vladimir. The trenchant tip had pierced through the forming crescent field of blood, and it began decapitating through the mage's right arm as it was raised in a vain effort to defend himself. A scream, gargled as the blade found its way into the mage's stomach, losing stability and pushing both of them to the currents. Blood, blood from his own insides, expelled out of his agape mouth as the force of the strike compelled him to cough.

The warrior's shouts turned to heavy breaths. The pillar that supported both of them had not dissipated. The Hemomancer was still alive and so was his own forbidden arcane energy. Vladimir coughed, the sword deep into his belly, the tip exposed and dripping with blood from his back. At the damaged insides of Vladimir, more of the reserve blood unnaturally solidified to prevent more damage, holding Garen still with the stiffness. He is hanging from the handle, gripping tight with words replaced by hard breaths. The divine glow of the steel was gone and Garen held on still, soaked in a mess of sanguine and aqua.

Vladimir's coughs transformed into chuckles, then to wet, slow laughter. He took one good wheezing breath. "Fool... It would take more than your petty steel to vanquish a power such as me... You have only prolonged your death... " Long, thin arms of blood emerged from around the mage, beginning under his loose sleeves, to his remaining left arm, then to the metal claw gripping onto the steel pauldron, slowly traveling up to Garen's armor, ramifying, encompassing him. Just as one reached the warrior's neck...

The glow returned. The halo bursting out from the sapphire of the hilt. The silver luster of the blade turning into a bright, holy aureate in an instant, a chime resonating from the very runes that created the golden aura. It was a brilliance that pierced through the dark red of all the blood, its power granting extreme heat to the metal. Vladimir's smile disappeared as his very insides were scorched by the burning heat. He screamed and screamed, shaking violently to no avail, only yanking the blade further. His fiendish, dying red eyes faced towards the sky, catching the sight of his inevitable doom.

"NO!" Were the words that escaped his pained bellowing before his final fate.

"_DIE, DEMON__!" _And from the sky, came rays of holy light, glimmering upon both champions like a calling from the deities above. It is the wrath of a god hurled forth from the very Heavens, a large mighty blade the size of a spear dropped from the epicenter of the lights, falling towards the earth, plunging directly into Vladimir's heart, forcing both of them into the currents. Waves were pushed outward. The mere force expelled the water into a large ripple for a moment, granting a small moment of air before the waters would form again.

Vladimir screamed his loudest, and soon, surging blood would encompass Garen's vision. The waves found him, unable to struggle due to the bulky plates, and he fell, pushed by the currents, both their screams silenced by the waters.

* * *

><p>AN: Hey there, guys! This is my first LoL fanfic. There are just a few things to take note of:<p>

1.) Recall ability is limited. It's not a summoner ability in this story. It's more of a spell, so only mages can cast it, but they can also take others with them. 2.) The map scale is HUGE, somewhat akin to A New Dawn, where the map is way larger than the one in the game. 3.) Time scale is also expanded.

Thanks for reading, hope you guys liked it! Please leave a review if you wanna, point out any mistakes, constcrits are okay, flames nope. See you guys!

Quick Update: Changed the title. The last one was the draft title. Sorry about that.

_Disclaimer: I do not own League of Legends and its characters nor do I claim ownership. _


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